Russia Has Nukes; Should Canada?

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

Hard no but we DO need to get serious and increase our capabilities for patrolling the arctic. Along with our coastal areas. Defence spending has been pathetically low in this country for far too long.

This. This should be our priority right now.

[Skaloper]

I don't think Canada needs nukes but we definitely need the ability to shoot down a Nuclear missile before it reaches population centers. I wonder what ability we have to intercept a missile given where technology is now. I am slightly worried that the US wouldn't care if they shot down nuclear missiles over Canada.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

Hard no but we DO need to get serious and increase our capabilities for patrolling the arctic. Along with our coastal areas. Defence spending has been pathetically low in this country for far too long.

We need to face the fact that we can't defend the Arctic and we'll never be able to afford what it would cost to do so. It's ours on maps for now, but whoever wants it and wants to put the money, manpower and resources into holding it will ultimately own it.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Sliver

We need to face the fact that we can't defend the Arctic and we'll never be able to afford what it would cost to do so. It's ours on maps for now, but whoever wants it and wants to put the money, manpower and resources into holding it will ultimately own it.

What Canada needs to do is invest in a home grown drone industry and use those to patrol our vast reaches instead of wasting more billions on failed attempts at buying more costly fighter jets which require costly crews and costly maintenance.

Turkey has done very well developing and selling their drones and seeing them implemented in the Ukraine.

[Zoller]

Not worth the money

Plus Americans subsidize our defence with their lack of healthcare.

We've got a pretty good deal going tbh.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

What Canada needs to do is invest in a home grown drone industry and use those to patrol our vast reaches instead of wasting more billions on failed attempts at buying more costly fighter jets which require costly crews and costly maintenance.

Turkey has done very well developing and selling their drones and seeing them implemented in the Ukraine.

You still need fighter jet response and capability. Drones are not even close to providing autonomous air defense at this point. As well they are more vulnerable to cyber attacks and Electronic war far.


Also the battle for the Arctic is going to be fought as much below the surface. Building a proper sensor net for intelligence gathering is going to be key as the first step to seize the arctic is a denial of access by ships and conventional forces.



Canada can no longer afford to cheap out on defense spending. As much as we talk about increasing defense spending to 2%, that's basically only a start because we've neglected things for so long with the Libs and Conservatives, that we're fighting with the best of 80's and at best 90's technology. We have serious recruiting issues and even more serious retention issues.



The 2% would be nice, but honestly the armed forces needs a rapid injection of proper capital spending to remain viable, period. We'd get slaughtered right now in any kind of modern battlefield.



As much as we talk about being deployable and all that stuff. Even the smallest deployments in force right now requires a long period of rest of refurbishment afterwards. Our armed forces are old, rusting, tired under capable and the people that would potentially look at it as a career won't do it right now because it looks like a joke.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Sliver

We need to face the fact that we can't defend the Arctic and we'll never be able to afford what it would cost to do so. It's ours on maps for now, but whoever wants it and wants to put the money, manpower and resources into holding it will ultimately own it.

To be honest, I never understood why just because some British sailors saw the islands and declared them property of Britain, and later Canada; that they are legally ours. I don't think this type of land claim process would hold up to modern sensibilities.

I think one of the main reasons why the Nunavut territory was incorporated was to make an agreement between Canada and Inuit to ensure Canadian sovereignty over the eastern and extreme northern Arctic. They (Inuit) agreed to recognize the authority of the Canadian government in exchange for a level of autonomy and self-government. That whole area of the Arctic is traditional Inuit territory and Canada's best hope for Arctic sovereignty is to maintain that relationship. It doesn't help with military defense, but on a legal level when it comes to international disputes, it is the one thing that Canada has going for it at the moment as it is hard to for anyone to argue (even Russia) that the area isn't traditional Inuit territory and they now have a governing agreement with Canada that would stand up to international scrutiny.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

We'd get slaughtered right now in any kind of modern battlefield.
.

I disagree, I think we would be fine.

By the time we got to the battle it will have been done for 3 weeks.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

To be honest, I never understood why just because some British sailors saw the islands and declared them property of Britain, and later Canada; that they are legally ours. I don't think this type of land claim process would hold up to modern sensibilities.

I think one of the main reasons why the Nunavut territory was incorporated was to make an agreement between Canada and Inuit to ensure Canadian sovereignty over the eastern and extreme northern Arctic. They (Inuit) agreed to recognize the authority of the Canadian government in exchange for a level of autonomy and self-government. That whole area of the Arctic is traditional Inuit territory and Canada's best hope for Arctic sovereignty is to maintain that relationship. It doesn't help with military defense, but on a legal level when it comes to international disputes, it is the one thing that Canada has going for it at the moment.

Wouldn't that same logic apply to all of Canada? It was found and declared French/British property.

[Barnes]

When we finish our new sidearm procurement in 17 years, we can talk about nukes.

[dammage79]

The perfect amount of Nukes anybody should have is zero. So no, Canada should not IMO. Plus our continent is protected by the Americans and their arsenal.

[SportsJunky]

Imagine Chris Barber and Pat King successfully overthrowing the government and getting their hillbilly hands on the nukes.

[Locke]

I suggest we ask Mr. Heston what he thinks...

[Fire]

Originally Posted by dammage79

The perfect amount of Nukes anybody should have is zero. So no, Canada should not IMO. Plus our continent is protected by the Americans and their arsenal.

No nukes means a lot more wars between major powers.

[Enoch Root]

We cannot afford Nukes AND a dental plan

[Johnny Makarov]

Hell yes! We are talking about nuclear power plants right?

[btimbit]

We can't even buy boots and sleeping bags, how the hell do we pull off acquiring nukes?

[Vinny01]

I hate that this is a topic of discussion that is a valid one to have right now.

No to Nukes.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Zoller

Not worth the money

Plus Americans subsidize our defence with their lack of healthcare.

We've got a pretty good deal going tbh.

I am thankful to live in a country where our only land borders are with a friendly country. Look around the world and see what other places are like, and it's a real luxury. Doubly so when that country is a super power. Do we take advantage of it more than we should? Maybe. But the thing is, Canada's security is probably just as important to the U.S. as it is to Canada.

As for the cost of nuclear weapons, it would be stupid expensive, but if Canada really wanted to, we would find a way to pay for it. It's really just not worth it.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

We cannot afford Nukes AND a dental plan

Lisa needs braces